One
by seh28
Summary: My take on what I would love to happen in 4x17 Empire Of The Son between Dan and Blair. Basically starting from that last scene in the promo. One shot. Please read and review! Thanks. Dair forever!


"Just one kiss…"

Those lofty words hung in the air like mist materializing from the sky, the way it seems to never touch the ground like actual raindrops do. When he uttered those words so softly she almost felt that she had misheard him, that she had conjured up those syllables in her imagination and her mind was playing a cruel joke on her. He stood before her in the same clothes he had on earlier that night, though his coat was open and the first two buttons on his shirt were undone. He looked comfortable and easy, the usual provocation in his disposition was replaced by something soft yet unwavering. She searched his deep eyes and felt the breathe catch in her throat as she thought of what to say.

"Are you trying to run lines with me, Humphrey?"

His face changed as a smirk played upon his mouth and he chuckled lightly. His eyes diverting from her face momentarily. Something was different about him but she couldn't put her finger on it, whatever it was, it made her hesitant, it made her feel like she didn't have as much ground as she was accustomed to. That the control she often held with such a fervent grip, was teetering.

"Waldorf, you are always so quick to deflect." He mumbled softly, a slight slur was present in his delivery. It was so minor a detail, that if all her senses weren't already heightened she might not have even noticed it. This sudden recognition washed over her like warm water. She instantly felt silly and displaced.

"You know, I would take you for someone who knew better than to propose novel ideas while intoxicated."

"I'm a writer, we're all about the moment."

She felt the formation of goose bumps line the underside of her arms. She desperately wanted him to stop all this, she wanted him to make some joke or say something incredibly witty or profound or cunning or anything, other than these trite one-liners that were making her lose her train of thought on how she was going to dismantle this highly intoxicating situation. He was standing much too close to her, though they'd done away with any formidable physical boundaries when she fell asleep with him on his couch. But standing so near him now made her wish for a few inches to think, to gather herself. He, as if to read her mind and disregard what he saw there, took another step toward her. She tried to play it cool, her face seemingly unchanged yet engaged, while inside she was going crazy, everything about him in that moment was overwhelming her convictions.

"This isn't a moment, Dan." Blair leveled calmly, her voice more timid than she would have liked.

"Are you sure?" He asked searching her eyes, they were imploring her to let this continue to play out as they were dangerously close to the point of no return. "It feels like one to me."

"That's just the scotch." Blair whispered, not able to break their tumultuous eye-contact.

"Rum, actually. And it isn't, I'm able to discern. The verdict is still out on you though."

Dan reached for her then, he couldn't help himself. She looked so fragile and compelling. He brought his hand up to her shoulder, near her collarbone, his fingertips barely touching the delicate skin there. Blair felt like she was holding her breath, her knees felt unstable momentarily and she bit the inside of her mouth silently, forcing herself to inhale. Her nose was met with the faint smell of something like wood and soap and she realized she never noticed how good he smelled, or maybe she just never let herself acknowledge it. She broke their eye contact momentarily and looked down, closing her eyes. She looked back up at him as she placed her hand over his, the tips of her fingers grazing his.

"Dan, don't…"

"You are so terrified." Dan acknowledged softly. Blair furrowed her eyebrows and let her fingers completely clasp over his, near her neck. "You're trying to hide it but I can tell. Your scared because you don't have control right now. And control is where you live."

"I have control." Blair muttered. Suddenly feeling an undeniable urge to level herself against him, she placed her other hand on the front of his jacket, almost like a barrier. She tried to regain her figurative footing and muster up fake disregard, "I don't even like you."

"Yes you do." He replied without missing a beat, the words weren't even fully out of her mouth before he was discarding them. Her heart started to flutter at the mere thought of what was eminent at this point. She had no idea how they'd even gotten here. After all, they were barely friends. Barely anything at all. Yet something inside her felt that they were everything in that very second. "Just one."

Everything slowed down. His face neared hers and she made one last ditch effort to save them from an irrevocable outcome. She found her voice when his lips were mere centimeters from her own.

"Da-" She muttered weakly and he shushed her softly, his mouth meeting hers directly yet gently. Blair felt her eyes flutter closed as a chill ran down her spine, his lips were warm and undemanding. The care and simplicity he took in that mere touch of their lips rocked her unexpectedly and she griped his jacket in her hand, his bottom lip prodded hers ever so slightly. And just as quickly as it had happened, it was over and he pulled back. Blair's heart was racing and she even felt a little light-headed. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an hour but in truth was only seconds. It must have been some ridiculous prank to kiss her like that. It was cruel and unusual punishment. Like leading a dehydrated person to water and making them drink it one lousy drop at a time. Her anticipation had not even begun to be satiated.

"See, just one." Dan whispered lightly. His thumb gently running over the skin of her collarbone.

Blair took a breath and before she could stop herself she closed the space between them kissing him purposefully, his mouth giving up complete control to her. She felt like she was losing her mind as she deepened their kiss as her lips pried at his more urgently. Dan's hand slipped from her neck into her hair as she continued her desperate exploration of his mouth with hers. Blair flattened her hand against his chest on the inside of his jacket, her other hand finding the nape of his neck and her fingers meeting the soft, thick curls there. Her tongue ran over the delicate part of his inner lip, making his grip her tighter and let out a sound that was somewhere between a whimper and moan.

"You're cheating." Dan whispered breathlessly against her mouth.


End file.
